Dreamer
by Myra Cifer
Summary: All humans have dreams, good and bad. And we all secretly want them to come true. But what if they did? What if you were thrown into that universe? And you knew how their stories end. Would you be able to save them? Set before the war. OC
1. Chapter 1

**This story is told by my character, Aren. It involves anything and everything Hueco Muendo. I really wasn't happy with the way the war ended. So my character is going in to make everything turn out ok. Basically, my solution to everything:) This story takes place BEFORE THE WAR. And continues through it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did... Aizen wouldn't be sealed, Gin wouldn't be dead, Szayel would have designed something to ensure all the Espada come back alive, and Ichigo WOULD NEVER LOOSE HIS POWERS. I mean really, you can't just let the main character loose his powers that the show is centered around and expect everyone to be ok about it. I MEAN REALLY! **

**And now that I've finished my ramble... without further ado, Mira Cifer presents "Dreamer."**

All humans have dreams, good and bad

And we all secretly want them to come true

But what if they did?

What if you were thrown into that universe?

What would you do?  
~

Chapter 1

I was dreaming. I always was. The best types of dream are when you know your dreaming. You can do whatever you want, and not have to worry about the consequences. Getting hurt, physically or emotionally. Most people dream of different things each night. But not me. At least not anymore. I don't remember when I started to dream of this place. When my normal dreams melded with these. Of this place. Hueco Mundo. A world of hollows. The souls that soul reapers didn't get to in time, before their soul chains were devoured. And the souls that were just evil. They all gathered here in Hueco Mundo. It was like my own little world, that I can escape to whenever I close my eyes.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Szayel leaned over the small body, his chest tightened in anticipation. They had brought in another human for dissection. The arrancar snatched humans from their world, hoping to learn more about what they used to be. The small girl lay on the steely examination table, her chest softly rising, up and down. Her pin straight chestnut hair was splayed around her face. Szayel licked his lips. They learned more every time they did this, he couldn't wait to see what they'd observe. He nodded and the fraccion backed away to watch their master work. Szayel raised the scalpel high as it glinted in the harsh light. He was deciding if he should make a Y cut or a T cut when the girl stirred. He swore, had they not sedated her heavily enough? He was about to turn around and scream at his incompetent servants when he heard something. He stared at the girl. She lips twitched like she was suppressing a grin.

"Szayel-san..." she murmered.

Szayel's eyes bulged, did she just say his name? No, it could be anyone, he reasoned. Just an odd coincidence. Yet he couldn't bring himself to look away. He shook his head, clearing his mind. He uncertainly raised the blade, not sure how to proceed. He sighed lifting the blade to her throat. The girl's long lashes fluttered in her sleep.

"Aizen-sama," she mumbled.

Szayel's mouth gapped, in the most unflattering fashion. But for once he didn't care about his appearance. It wasn't a coincidence. This girl knew about them. He swallowed nervously. Just how much did this human know? But first...

"Verona, Lumina," he barked, "We're keeping this one."

The fraccion bounced in excitement. "Keeping!" Lumina cried.

"Keeping!" Verona echoed.

Szayel flashed his perfect white teeth. This, he thought, is gonna be good.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

My eyes fluttered open to the familiar surroundings. I sighed contently. I was back. In the place I could only call a haven. The world of my dreams, Hueco Muendo. The cruel the fluorescent lighting bounced off the white walls. I was obviously in one of the underground labs. My arms were cuffed to the wall and I was suspend a few feet off the ground. Instead of my street clothes, I was now dressed in a white hospital gown. I saw a figure rushing around, his pink hair tucked neatly behind his ear. I rolled my eyes. I still refuse to believe that its his natural color. I grinned. "Hey, Szayel. Do you mind letting me down?"

He flinched as he heard my voice. He turned around, eyes wide. The color drained from his face.

"Na-ni?" I giggled. "You look like you saw a ghost!"

He hesitantly took a step towards me, footsteps echoing around the lab. "Who are you?" he asked, baffled.

I groaned. I hate it when this happens. Sometimes, my dreams have little blips, where the character forget ever seeing me. So I have to explain it all to them and then it comes back to them. But I really don't mind, as long as I get to see them again. If I couldn't see them again... I shuddered. I wouldn't want to live like that. Despite them being my imagination, they were my friends, people I could go to when the real world was just to much. I know, I sound like any other teenager out there. But my life is seriously screwed. My dad left us when I was younger, I don't even remember the bastard's face. All I know is that my mother was never the same. She spiraled into depression, not talking, not sleeping. She looked haunted. Then she stopped eating. She's currently in a center for eating disorders. I haven't seen her in months. I shook my head, dispelling the depressing thoughts. If I didn't explain to Szayel, he wouldn't remember me. And then I would have truly lost everything. I took a deep breathe and started to explain. "Its me, Aren. You've forgotten again, haven't you? I loathe it when this happens. I wonder if everyone forgot again or if its just you?"

"Everyone?" he repeated disbelievingly.

"Yes," I stated, " Ya know, Aizen-sama, Gin-san, Tousen-san, the Espada, so on and so forth."

He stalked up to me, grabbing my shirt. "How do you know about us?" He hissed, eyes narrowing.

I sighed. "Baka, you really have forgotten." He looked at me questioningly. I sighed. "Of course I know you. I dream about you every night. That's what this is, a dream."

"A dream?" he asked suspiciously. His golden eyes narrowed behind his white glasses.

"Of course, what else would it be? I've dreamt of you, of Aizen and his betrayal in the Soul Society, and of the other Espada. And although I desperately wish you were all real," I smiled, "you couldn't be."

"Why?" he asked breathlessly, his mind churning for and explanation. "Why couldn't we be real?"

"Because, if you were real, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Your dead and I'm not." I paused, waiting for a reaction. Nothing. My mind whirled. "Right?" I asked, beginning to panic.

Szayel threw his head back in laughter. He wiped a tear from his eyes. "Don't worry, your not dead," he chuckled. His eyes flashed predatorily as if to say, 'not yet.' I gulped. As if I could forget his sadistic personality. Of all the arrancar I've met, Szayel is the weirdest. When I met him for the first time, he didn't offer a greeting or even a death threat (like Grimmjow... ). He looked me over and then asked, "Would you mind coming down to my lab? I'd just _love_ to experiment on you. It'd be worth your while." I shuddered at the memory. He still scares the crap out of me.

"Tell me," he asked jokingly. "What things have you 'dreamt' about?"

I responded seriously, "What would do you want to know?"

He paused for a moment, obviously trying to think of something that no one else would know. His eyes brightened as he came upon the obvious answer. "Tell me something about myself that no one else knows," he responded gleefully.

Egotistical jerk. I closed my eyes for a moment to recall the dream. The words fell from my lips as if I had spoken them a thousand times. "I know about your secret ability. Gabriel. The ability to resurrect yourself from your opponent's body."

He paled.

"And I also know that you kissed Grimmjow at last year's Christmas Party." I joked trying to lighten the mood.

That just made him look even more horrified. Maybe I shouldn't have brought that up...

He grasped my shoulders while he raked his eyes over my body. I'd call him a perv (which he is) but I know that he's just trying to figure out the best way to dissect me. I laughed internally, and then stopped. Because the fact of him attempting to dissect me scares me more than him eating his fraccion...

"Szayel." He continued eyeing me, not hearing a word. "Szayel," I persisted.

"What?" he snapped back, aggravated. He seemed annoyed that his newest research subject was talking.

"You can't experiment on me." I pointed out.

He chuckled. "Why ever not?" he inquired with a false sweetness.

"This is a dream, 'member? You can't cut me. You've tried." I pointed out, wincing at the memory. That was not one of my good days. But on a high note, the scalpel just passed though me like I was a ghost... Szayel grinned, exposing everyone of his molars. I would have backed away if I wasn't chained to the wall. Szayel's hand strayed to the hilt of his sword. He turned and walked towards the examination table. I sighed. He was going to try anyway. I tried to get comfortable. It normally took awhile to get the fact through his thick skull.

I felt a sharp pain slice through my arm. I tensed in shock. My eyes flew open as I stared down at my arm. Blood streamed down my arm, dripping onto the pristine white floor. Szayel's zanpakto was embedded into the wall beside me, buried so deep that only the silver and purple hilt was showing. I let out a shaky breath. It wasn't a deep cut but I was horrified. I couldn't be hurt. Not here. Szayel hit a inky blue button and I was dropped to the floor. I stared at him, eyes wide.

"The look on your face is priceless," He commented, still wearing his piano grin.

"No way," I whispered, gasping in revelation. "I'm really... here."

"No really, Sherlock."

I slowly massaged my temples. "It's ... all... real."

"That's what I said," he sarcastically replied, flipping his bubble gum pink hair. "Welcome to Hueco Muendo."

"Oh my god," My mind spun. "Why am I here?" I asked, feeling incredibly blonde.

"Well... " Szayel started, looking incredibly guilty.

My eyes hardened. "Spit it out," I insisted.

He took a deep breathe. "We just got a shipment of humans to experiment on..."

"You were going to EXPERIMENT on me?" I shrieked.

He grinned. "Dissect, actually. But just as I was about to make the first cut, you mumbled my name. At first I thought it was a coincidence, Szayel is a wildly popular name, but then you muttered "Aizen-sama." So of course my curiosity got the best of me and here you are!" He explained happily.

"Bastard" I muttered. My mind was whirling. I. was. in. Hueco. Muendo. And I wasn't dead. All those people, real. Everything that had happened...

I flew forward, grabbing Szayel's snow white uniform. I slammed him into the opposite wall, hands shaking. "Does that mean... Aizen..."

"Yes?" he asked eagerly.

I quivered. "Aizen really did it... he got the Hogyoku.." I trailed off into though. Images of him tearing into Rukia, slashing at Ichigo, the dead Central 46...

"Wait! You _know_ what happened?" Szayel asked in shock. "The entire story?"

"Of course," I said softly, still far away in my mind, watching the scenes unfold.

I was flipped around and slammed into the wall. I gasped, confronted with Szayel's eyes, burning for knowledge. "Tell me," he growled.

I gazed in incredulity. "You don't... know?" I asked, not wanting to piss him off.

He sighed, not wanting to show his ignorance. "No one really knows anything about Aizen or how he got here. All we know is that he's powerful enough to force every hollow to work together. Living in the castle, it's not natural. Like we had a choice. Just being in his presence..."

"... Makes you want to submit," I finished. "He even '_convinced'_ the King of Hueco Muendo."

"Yes," he answered in amazement. He released me, backing away. My knees gave away and I fell onto the ceramic tiles. The cold seeped through the my hospital gown. Szayel sat a tall lab stool, narrowing his eyes. "How did you know...?"

"I've _seen_ it all," I interjected. "In my dreams, remember? That's how I know you. I see it all play out. I can talk to people, explore on my own, learn everyone's dirty secrets," I grinned knowingly. "But I can't influence anything. If I try, my body just passes through it, as if I was a hologram. I suppose its sort of like seeing the future, only until now, I didn't know it was real," I finished.

For a moment, Szayel was silent, absorbing everything I had revealed. Then his eyes lit up, I could almost see the lightbulb above his head. "You're going to show me," he declared, annunciating each syllable. He shivered in excitement. "I wasn't sure about you at first. In fact, I still wanna slice you open..." He trailed off dreamily. "But now... it seems you'll be sticking around for a while. Welcome to Las Noches."

**So what did you think? I promise most things will make sense after the next chapter. Just bear with me! Reviews pretty please?**


	2. Chapter 2

"_You're going to show me," he said, annunciating each syllable. He shivered in excitement. "I wasn't sure about you at first. But now... it seems you'll be sticking around for a while. Welcome to Las Noches."_

I blinked disbelievingly. "Umm, sure," I said startled. I looked around nervously. "Do you have a bed around here?"

"Why Mira," Szayel said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I had no idea you wanted to move so quickly. But if you insist..." He trailed off.

I sighed, knowing that my ears had turned bright red. "We both know that's not what I meant. Maybe I just won't show you." I said cockily, sticking my tongue out.

Szayel's eyes narrowed, a grin spreading across his face. "That's not a problem."

"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"You just need to sleep, correct?" He asked, his grin growing even wider.

"Szayel?" I asked nervously, taking a step back. "You can't use anestisia. It won't work if its artificial sleep." I said, desperately trying to convince him.

His grin faded into a pout for a moment. He stared off in thought. I had the inexplicable urge to wave my hands in front of his face, to see if he'd notice. But alas, he is a Espada. And I don't have a death wish. His face lit up, you could almost see the lightbulb floating above his head. Suddenly, he was gone. Just like that. I whirled around, utterly confused. Soft hands grabbed my sides and threw my over a shoulder. Pink hair flooded my vision.

To my horror, I squeaked in surprise. I had forgotten about their sonido. "That's not fair," I whined, as he carried me through more white rooms. The world spun around me as he sonido'd again, speeding down a spiral stair case. We entered a endless hallway. I honestly couldn't see the end. Little white doors lined the hallway, each a perfect distance away from on another. Szayel kicked one open, the sound echoing through the hallway.

He threw me down on a steel table as I tried to regain my balance. "Warn me next time," I hissed. I doubt he heard me. He was rustling though a huge cabinet, that stretched from one en of the room to the other. He grabbed a bottle and turned around triumphantly.

"Melatonin," he said happily. "Its a natural sleep aide. This should work, ne?

I glared at it suspiciously. "Or you could wait for me to fall asleep," I pointed out.

Szayel sulked. "I can't wait that long," he whined. "I _really_ wanna see."

"You do realize you won't actually _see_ anything, right?" I prompted. "Its just a girl sleeping."

"But I can do all sorts of scans on your brain activity!"

"... That just creeps me out..."

"Just lay on the table."

I sighed and leaned back. I decided that making sure Szayel believed me was the best course of action. Its certainly better than... being dissected... much better. The cool surface of the table pressed uncomfortably into my back. I squirmed in an attempt to get comfortable. Szayel loomed over me. I swallowed, my throat uncomfortably dry. "Open wide," he said elatedly.

I took a deep breathe and opened my mouth. The pill dropped onto my dry tongue. I swallowed and it slid slowly down my throat. The surgical lights beamed down on me. They were blinding, harsh white light. I squinted my eyes, everything was blurry. I tried to raise my hand to block the glare, but my limbs felt uncomfortably heavy. My eyes slid shut as I drifted into unconsciousness.

_BAM. My knees buckled from impact. I toppled forward in an unexpected landing. A groan escaped my mouth as I took in my surroundings. White, white, white. I was in Las Noches. I struggled to regain my footing when strong hands helped me to my feet. I twisted around to see who had assisted me._

"_Grimmjow!" I gasped. _

"_Lovely to see you back princess," he snickered. _

"_Nice to see you again too, kitty," I replied smiling. He snarled, leaping back to draw his sword. He hated that name, but what else could I call him after seeing his Resurrection. Besides, its pay back for when he calls me princess. After remembering he can't hurt me, he resheathes his zanpakto. "So what's going on?" I asked curiously. My dreams just slam me down in whatever place, in whatever time. I never know what's going on or if its already happened. _

_Grimmjow rubbed the back of his head. "Aizen's called a meeting."_

_I nodded. That much could be assumed. "Any idea what its about?"_

_He looked at me sheepishly. I looked at his critically. "You zoned out again?" I guessed._

_He whined. "But Tousen was rambling on and on! How am I supposed to pay attention to that?" _

_I chuckled in agreement, remembering the last time Tousen and I had tea. I made the unfortunate mistake of asking him why he chose Aizen over the Soul Society. I was then treated to an hour long lecture on his many views of justice. I shook my head. "Come on," I called, beginning to walk down the endless hallway. "If we don't hurry, we'll be late." Grimmjow jogged to catch up. We walked in companionable silence until we reached the signature white door. It slid open, revealing the meeting room. More long than wide, the room was filled by a oval table. It was one of the darker rooms in Las Noches, lit only by dim bulbs placed periodically down the long room. _

_We stepped into the semi-dark room. Grimmjow walked cheerfully to his seat, between Nnotoria and Zommari. Each Espada sat in numerical order around the table. Aizen, Tousen, and Gin, had already taken their seats at the head. I never have a chair, but I don't mind. Its not like I'm invited to these meetings, persay. More like, they can't force me out. But its not like I'd betray their secrets. I have friends here. Plus, Aizen's plans interest me more than the Gotei 13 debriefings. Their far more... intelligent. Sorry, but its the truth. If you've ever had to sit through one of Yamamoto's 'planing sessions', then you'd know what I mean. I leaned against the shadow lit wall as Aizen began._

"_Everyone," he called quietly, instantly commanding all attention. "I have taken every precaution against the Soul Society to insure that our invasion will not fail. But as we all know, there is one missing piece. We have yet to come up with a way to stop the head captain. At the last meeting, I asked Szayel to reverse engineer Yamamoto's abilities. And we have come up with a solution." _

_Quite whispers broke out across the table. I strained my ears, trying not to miss a second. _

"_We have decided to modify an Arrancar," Aizen said, his silky smooth voice carrying over the hushed voices without effort. The room fell silent, the shocked looks reflected on each Espada's face. Even Ulquiorra looked surprised. "His ability will be called Extinguir. It will negate the Head Captain's abilities. Sadly, he or she will have to give up a few things for this skill, but I assure you, it will be worth it."_

_The Espada looked at each other worriedly. They all were wondering the same thing. Who would be forced into this? After all, Aizen's word is law. Whoever was chosen would have no choice but to obey. _

"_And we already have a volunteer," he stated. Tousen walked forward, holding a young blonde Arrancar by the arm. Relived sighs echoed around the room. I scoffed. Volunteer my ass. No one 'volunteered' for Aizen. They were forced. The Arrancar's blonde hair draped over his face, hiding his eyes from my view. I craned my neck to see the poor souls eyes. "We shall modify him tomorrow. Your all expected to be there. Meeting dismissed." _

_Everyone immediately rose and left the room. The room started to fade as the dream came to its end. The blonde Arrancar was led out of the room by Tousen. He turned his head just as I lost sight of the room. But the desperation in his young purple eyes was burned into my memory._

I sat up gasping. That dream was very familiar.

_Rationality. Memory. Retention. Speech. Intelligence. _The words echoed in my head.

Szayel was immediately at my side. "What did you see?" he asked, his voice rising in excitment.

_Rationality. Memory. Retention. Speech. Intelligence. _

I steadied my breathing. "Something that will happen very soon," I said, trying to still my racing heart. The look in the blonde Arrancar's eyes was unbearable. He already knew his fate was sealed. I relayed my dream to Szayel as he took meticulous notes.

"How do you know when it will happen?" he asked.

"I've had that dream before," I explained. "Dreams repeat more often as they're about to happen. Since I've had that dream three times already this week, it could happen anytime. It might even happen tomorrow." He nodded, writing a few more notes.

_Rationality. Memory. Retention. Speech. Intelligence. _My stomach twisted as I realized what they meant. Szayel looked up, perturbed. "What's wrong? You look like your going to be sick."

I inhaled and choked. "The boy..." I started. Szayel raised his eyebrow. I balled my knees into my chest._ Sadly, he or she will have to give up a few things... _"Rationality. Memory. Retention. Speech. Intelligence. Aizen's going to take them all away," I said as a sob tore through my throat. "He'll have nothing. Aizen's going to turn him into a mindless puppet."

Szayel stood up, unsure what to do. He reached around me, pulling me into an awkward hug. I looked at him. Was he out of his mind? He coughed and straightened up, a blush spreading across his face. "I've got something good to show you," he started awkwardly. I tilted my head, not trusting myself to speak. Szayel reached for a manilla folder, pulling out a graph. "You see, when your dreaming, your reiatsu rises until its on par with a seated officer." He explained, motioning to the graphs increasing slope.

"Seriously?" I asked in awe, staring at the jagged lines.

"Honestly, its a miracle you haven't been attacked by hollows," Szayel confessed.

"Wow..." I trailed off. I had always wanted to have reiastu, if only to see that shinigami existed. All I ever wanted was to see a shinigami leaping through the sky...

"Also," Szayel began, brining me back to Earth. "Your brain activity levels are off the charts. But your physical body doesn't show any signs of stress. Its like your reaching another world subconsciously. Its incredible. I wanna run more tests..." he said, stopping because he realized I was about to bolt. "All in good time," he assured me. "I wonder..."

"What?" I asked, scared of what he might want.

"How much do you know exactly?"

"What do you mean?"

"From your dreams. How much do you know about the Soul Society?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"A bunch I guess."

"How about the people there?"

"I supposed..."

"Do you think you could profile the shinigami you know from the Gotei 13 into one of my computers?"

I paused. "Couldn't you just ask Aizen?"

Szayel huffed. "He doesn't tell us anything about the Soul Society. Please?" Szayel asked, using suspiciously endearing puppy dog eyes.

"... Fine."

"Great!" He said, steering me towards a table. He hit a button and a keyboard emerged out of the surface.

"Ok, that's pretty awesome."

"Wait, there's more," he said hitting another button. A paper thin screen emerged behind the keyboard. A mouse snaked its way into Szayel's hand. He pulled up a blank screen. "Start typing."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Sorry about not updating in so long! We had to take state tests ALL WEEK. Bleh. But I'm back now:)**

_He pulled up a blank screen. "Start typing."_

I leaned back, exhausted. Rubbing my eyes, I gazed blearily at the letters, swirling around the screen. Perhaps, I should take a break... I pushed away from the desk. Szayel had gifted me with an office chair _that spins. _If you've never experienced the joy of spinning round and round and round in a chair, _you haven't lived. _I twirled round and round, my head lolling back. I allowed a child-like grin to over take my features.

A door slid open. Szayel walked in, his nose buried in papers. He looked up, agitated. "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

I felt like a child caught with one hand in a cookie jar. "Taking a break," I replied sheepishly.

He looked pointedly at me. "What?" I asked innocently.

He shook his head. "Never mind. How's it coming?"

I turned back to the text-filled screen. "Not bad. I've profiled Squads two through seven. Squad one's a little harder because of the head captain."

Szayel looked at my work happily. "Alright. Keep at it." I nodded and continued typing. It had been three days since I had first arrived here. The little voice in the back of my head was screaming at me not to move too fast, but I can't help it. I have to show progress, but after I finish... I shuddered. Szayel may have no use for me. I know for a fact, he still is skeptical of my ability. Even though I gave him hard core evidence, he still has his doubts. Seeing is believing. I just have to hope that Aizen calls for the meeting soon...

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"Aren. Aren! AREN!"

My head shot off the desk. Shit! I had dozed off! I looked around to make sure no one had noticed... "AHHHH!" I screamed as I fell to the floor. Ow. I hit my head and the world spun. I scrambled to my feet, looking furiously at the crazed scientist. Szayel was standing. Right. Behind. Me. "What the hell?" I asked, blushing furiously.

Szayel was laughing and clutching his sides. "Aw stop. It hurts," he chocked out, wiping tears from his eyes.

"It wasn't that funny..." I said, trailing off when I realized 'it really was.'

"It was classic," he announced, straightening up. I pouted. "Anyways, I have news."

I perked up. News?

"Aizen's called a meeting."

I gave him a pointed look.

"He asked me to prepare data before hand."

"And this data wouldn't happen to be about the head captain, would it?" I asked

"...Yes," he replied slowly. I grinned, giving my best 'I told you so' look.

He looked past me, his face turned the same color has his hair. Now, it was my turn to laugh. "Would you mind telling me what you know about his abilities?" he asked, still not making eye contact. I was still giggling. "Well?" he asked irritably.

"Of course, silly," I replied turning back to the computer. I knew he still had doubts about my ability. But hopefully, after the meeting, if everything goes as I said, he'll believe me.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_Blood. Blood everywhere. I can't breathe. The scent is suffocating me. Dead. They're ALL DEAD. Lying around me. Slumped in their chairs. Decimated on the floor. _

_His glasses glint as he wipes his zanpakto on a corpse. He turns, his face still keeping his calm, icy mask. _

_How did this happen? He was dead! Killed in the most gruesome way. Is he a ghost? But there are no ghosts in Soul Society. Our job is to bring the dead here, for their next life. No one knows where they go after this. But apparently, I'd find out very soon._

_Suddenly, he was in front of me. His calculating eyes observed me through those thick lenses. His mask slipped for a moment, and I saw the real monster none of us had ever knew. He was grinning, grinning at the sight of our blood. Grinning, because he knew my life was in his hands. Grinning, because he knew he'd be the one to end it. _

_He raised his sword and brought it down in a fluid motion. There wasn't even time to scream..._

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I awoke covered in a cold sweat. I couldn't stop trembling. I opened my mouth, but no sound escaped. I couldn't even scream...

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Szayel walked through the halls. Under Las Noches, was his labs, his domain. Here, he was a king. There was no Gin controlling the passages. No Tousen stalking through the shadows. And no Aizen. He couldn't see here.

Szayel walked quickly, the meeting had just ended. And he was in awe. Every word, every detail, was just as she had said. The mysterious Aren. Her power was real. He had noticed, after observing her for a few days, that she wasn't without reiastu as she believed. No, in fact, she possessed more raw power than he had ever in a human. But it was suppressed, bubbling under the surface. As if there was a barrier, holding back a tidal wave. But it couldn't hold it back forever. And the day it broke free, well, Szayel hoped he was there.

Maybe, if she became aware of her power, I could train her, he mused. It would be interesting, to see how far a human could progress. But it would be difficult. If one has never felt their own reiastu, they just can't know what its like. It can't be taught, that sensation. But if I could help her tap into her power well... he trailed off in thought.

Szayel reached Aren's rooms and opened the door. They were connected to his own living quarters, because the other hollows couldn't know of her existents. Not yet, at least. The door swung open. Szayel marched in, looking around. The room was empty. The computer screen was black. She wasn't in here... He walked towards her bedroom.

"Aren? Aren?" He called. There was no response. Szayel grasped the door handle and eased the door open. All the lights were off, it was pitch black. Was she sleeping? He reached for the lights, and he was completely unprepared for what he saw.

The lights flickered on, exposing the young girl. Curled up in a ball, tears streaming down her face. She was silently sobbing, shaking uncontrollably. Szayel's eyes widened. What happened? "Aren?" he called softly. Her head rose at the sound of her name and Szayel gasped. Her eyes were red and puffy, she had obviously been crying for a while. Her striking green eyes had turned a heart breaking caramel. "What happened?" Szayel asked, taking a hesitant step towards her.

"Szayel?" Aren asked, her voice cracking. He took a few more steps and sat next tp the trembling girl on the bed.

He looked uncomfortable. "I'm here," he whispered.

Aren shifted so that her head rested on Szayel's shoulder. Szayel felt even more awkward, but melted as he felt her tears on his shoulder. "It was awful," she spoke shuddering.

"What happened?" Szayel repeated. Aren stiffened. He realized she wouldn't speak of it. "You don't have to tell me..." he began before he was cut off by her shaking voice.

"I was dreaming," she began. "But I _wasn't_ me. This was the first time, I was in someone else's body. And he was dyeing," she began to cry again. "They were all dyeing."

Szayel heard her breathes get quicker. She began to talk faster. "It was a massacre. Blood everywhere. He wouldn't stop. He wouldn't stop! Ithurtsithurtsithurts!"

Szayel grabbed her into a hug and she froze. Neither knew why he did, but it seemed to calm her down. Szayel spoke quietly, "Who was it?"

She smiled ruefully. "I was a member of the Central 46. They were all killed all at once. Aizen killed them all."

**Let me just say here. NO. Aren does not fall in love with Szayel. Or vise versa. They just develop a comforting friendship, ok. This isn't a love story (probably). If you didn't realize, this story switches from narrating (Aren's point of view) and third person. That's why it may have been a little confusing... Sorry about that. But now you know :)**

**Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Szayel sat at his desk, unable to concentrate. He leaned back. His mind was whirling.

The Espada knew very little of Aizen or his past. All they know is that he is powerful. Very powerful. He could have anything in the world. Its really not surprising he had murdered before. They all knew he was once a apart of the Soul Society. And that he had broken away. His betrayal was hundreds of years in the making.

No, Szayel wasn't surprised. He was excited. Aren knew so much. Since the Espada knew so very little, every piece of information is vital. Especially about Aizen.

Although... Szayel was concerned. About Aren's out-of-body experience. Since it had never happened before, means the reiastu of Hueco Muendo was affecting her. Forcing her powers to manifest in strange ways. Making her stronger. The sooner she can control her latent reiastu, the better. Which means one thing. On to the training!

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"Ar-en!" Szayel sang as he entered the room. I looked up from the computer suspiciously.

"Wha-at?" I said mocking him.

But he didn't miss a beat. "I need to ask you something."

I braced myself, expecting the worst. Tests, experiments, observations. But what came from his mouth was very different.

"May I teach you how to control reiastu?" he blurted out.

I stared, dumbstruck. What?

Szayel hit his forehead. "Let me explain. You have an enormous amount of reiastu Mira. And the high levels of reiastu in Hueco Muendo is forcing it to surface at an accelerated rate.

"Is that ... bad?" I asked nervously.

"On the contrary," Szayel replied. "its extraordinary. The way its affecting you is making you stronger in ways I can only imagine. But you must learn to control it. If you wish to remain human, we've got to train."

My mind instantly traveled to the training sessions I'd seen in the Soul Society. Hours of grueling work, toning your body and mind. I looked at him suspiciously. "How?"

"Take my hands," Szayel answered. I uncertainly pressed my palms against his. "Close your eyes." My eyes slid shut. Warmth spread through my fingertips. I gasped. It continued down my arms, filling my body with heat. I felt elated, my heart was soaring. Lost in the sensation.

"What... is that?" I managed.

"That's reiastu," he explained. "I'm forcing my reaistu into your body."

"That's reiastu?" I asked, revealing in its warmth. "It feels..."

"Incredible?" Szayel suggested. I nodded, unable to form the words. " In order to train you, first I must make you aware of your own reiastu. It'll feel even better when it's your own."

"It gets better?" I asked awestruck.

"That warmth your feeling. Imagine that magnified by a hundred. Reiastu is the life force of all spiritual beings. It's the material proof you exist. Its only natural something so important would feel like this."

"No wonder so many people love fighting," I wondered out loud. It was a rush, the ultimate high. And I'd only felt the smallest portion. "How can I reach my own reiastu?"

Szayel shook his head. She obviously didn't realize how much reiastu she already leaked. "Every soul has a well of reiastu. In order to use that energy, we must tap into your soul. But its a dangerous process. A soul which has not died, normally isn't strong enough to sense its own reiastu. But with your heightened abilities, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Are you sure?" I asked. I don't feel different from a normal person. "What happens if the soul isn't strong enough?"

Szayel averted his eyes. "They seise to exist. They disappear. No Soul Society. No afterlife. They're just gone." A silence stole over the room. "But that won't happen to you," he assured me.

"How do you know?" I demanded. Thinking about it is _scary_. I want to exist.

Szayel smirked. I didn't see what was so amusing. This was my life we were talking about!

"Well, you just survived direct contact with an Espada's reiastu. I think your covered."

My mouth dropped open. "You tricked me! What if it didn't work?"

Szayel walked towards me, his nose inches away from mine. "You can't imagine what power you radiate. There's no way you wouldn't have survived it."

He pulled away. "But that's over and done. Now you need to feel your own reiastu."

Szayel walked across the white room. "First get comfortable."

I leaned back and crossed my legs. "Done," I smiled.

"Now I want you to think of something that makes you truly happy."

My mind wandered. Happiness. Things that make me happy. Ice cream, friends. But truly happy. My mind went blank. I had no clue. I thought of the last time I saw my family. We were at the dinner table, my little sister telling a joke, my mom emerging from the kitchen with a platter of cookies. My father smiling. The joy of just being there with them.

"Open your eyes," Szayel whispered. I was back in the labs again. The illusion of my family vanished but the emotion remained. "Look," he said, motioning to me.

I looked down. My hands were glowing. Yes glowing. It spread over my entire body. Then it hit me. How much I missed them. What they meant to me. It felt like a gate opening in the center of my chest. I gasped as emotions tumbled out. Heat engulfed my body. It felt like I was on fire. Not painful, but _hot_. I felt like I could do _anything_. Blue flames flickered around me. My reiastu. I grinned. I felt powerful. I walked over to Szayel. Or at least I meant to. I bounded over, lighter than a feather. Air parted around me, it took seconds.

Szayel grinned. "That's called 'flash-step' Mira."

My face lit up. Flash-step! I had seen captains use it before. I zipped around the room exuberantly. "I understand now." I told Szayel. "Reiastu is your soul's life force. If you've never felt it before, you have to experience what makes life worth living. What makes you truly happy."

"Don't worry. You only have to do all that for your first time. Now that your aware of it, you can use it anytime." Szayel announced.

I grinned. My body was humming. Absolutely bursting with energy. I...

"Oh! Before I forget!" Szayel announced, bringing my attention back to him. He rushed out of the room. I craned my neck. What was that about? He zipped back in triumphantly.

In Szayel's hands were gold cuffs that were about a foot long. They each had a suspicious looking meter running the length of it. The design reminded me of a gauntlet, only there was no hand piece. "Here," he motioned to me. "Put these on."

I stared at them, confused. "Oh, come here!" Szayel said excitedly. He clamped one on each of my arms. They reached from my wrist to the junction of my elbow. Despite how heavy they looked, they were as light as air. I twisted around, admiring them.

"What are they?" I asked in awe.

"I designed them especially for you. They're reiastu restraints. When your wearing them, only half of your total reiastu can be released at any time. You'll keep them on constantly. This way, we'll never know exactly how much reiastu you have." He explained, the excitement in his voice barely contained.

"Why..." I began to ask.

"If you can only access half of your reiastu at any time, over time your reiastu will grow to compensate for the part that can't be released. Also it'll make fighting easier. Well not when your training. But when you take the restraints off, fighting will be easier than breathing."

I tried to absorb the information. "So by wearing these when I train, when I take them off, it'll all be easier?" I asked.

"Yep!" Szayel said with a smile. "It'll also be fun for me to guess how much reiastu you have. Neither of us will know!"

"Greeeeat..."

"Wait! There's more."

"More?"Szayel was beginning to sound like a salesman...

"Yes. Do you see the meter on the side?"

"Yes..."

"That represents how much reiastu is released. This way you can train at different levels."

"Uh huh..."

"Say, release level 1," Szayel instructed.

I looked around feeling rather foolish. "Release... level 1."

Blue flames erupted around me. The euphoria enveloped me again. I sighed contently. But the surprises weren't over yet.

The flames raced down my arms, enveloping my hands. Something was beginning to take shape. My hands curled around the newly formed handles. And the room exploded with light.

I blinked furiously, attempting to regain my vision. Everything was blurry. I glanced down, shrieking at the sight that greeted me. Huge curved blades had materialized. Past the ornate gold handles, the wicked blades curved back and reached past my shoulders. Almost like the teeth of a saber tooth tiger... I shook my head. Focus! The blades were peculiar, unlike any weapon I had ever seen. They ran parallel to my arm, perfect for blocking and attacking. And although they appeared to be made of solid gold, they were feather light. The shone in the harsh light of the lab, glinting a metallic blue.

**(I feel like I'm not explaining these well...Here's where I got the idea from. Go to this link, I promise it's safe: .com /manga/07_ghost/c039.****. Remove the spaces. Also, I'm making the pic my profile picture so you can look there:)**

I could feel my reiastu rushing into them. I looked in at Szayel dumbfounded. He grinned. "I was wondering what your weapon would be," he said mysteriously.

"What?" I asked quietly, admiring the blades.

"This prototype melds with your reiastu. When you release reiastu, the weapon is released too. Think of it as a substitute for your zanpakto," he said with a smile. "I was expecting a sword, but this suits you."

I twirled around. I could literally feel them slicing through the air. The blades felt like extensions of my arms. Since they were parallel to the cuffs, it felt like hand to hand combat. Only now, every strike was deadly. Payback time.

I flash-stepped towards Szayel, sweeping my right arm at his head. The room shook as he parried just in time. The moment froze.

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"A natural," Szayel whispered. The movements flowed gracefully, as if she was listening to music no one else could hear.

She jumped back, landing on her toes. Mira took a stance, her eyes inviting him to dance. Szayel shook his head unbelievingly. It could be valuable research to see what she could do without training...

Szayel leapt forward, joining the dance.

**Bleh I'm so frustrated! I just can't describe the freaking weapon! If I'm inspired, I may go back and change this chapter. Review and tell me your opinion. **

**If you didn't see this link earlier, go there now. I got the idea from 07 Ghost. Go to this link, I promise it's safe: .com /manga/07_ghost/c039.**** Remove the spaces. Also I'm making the pic my profile picture so you can just look there!**


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